Ignition system



Feb. 26 ,1924. 1,484,658

- J. W. LAUREN IGNITION SYSTEM Filed Fe xv. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A/ is WEE EEE v5 I:: E=

John Laws e77.

Feb. 26, 1924., J LAUREN 11,484,658

I IGNITION SYSTEM led Fe 7'. 1921 meets-sheet a 3i Q2 & 4 46 46 3b #9 =3 mauannou E v Q H |u JOHN W. LAUREN, 01 CHIOJLGQ, ILLINGZS,

more, a coarser IGNITION Elli.

Application filed February 7, 1921. Serial No. 442,507.

T 0 all whom it concern.

Be it known that I, dorm WV. LAUREN. a citizen of the Republic of Finland, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Ignition System; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an ignition sys tem, and particularly to an ignition system wherein distributing and transforming means for either constant or pulsating electric currents are embodied in a compact unit and are adapted to be conveniently installed on an internal combustion engine with a minimum of wiring connections.

Many internal combustion engines are equipped with ignition systems in which two sources of electrical energy are selectively employed, and these sources ordinarily comprise a storage battery and a low tension magneto. In order that these systems may be successfully employed it is necessary that a vibrator be used in connection with the induction coil which is used to transform the electrical pressure to a sufficiently high value to insure a proper ignition spark. It is or" course, also necessary that the high potential current thus produced be distributed to the engine spark plugs in proper timed relation with the movements of the engine pistons, and in ignition systems which have been generally employed heretofore these distributing means have been separated from the transforming coils and have been interconnected therewith by complicated wiring system.

It is an object of this invention to provide an ignition system wherein distributing means and transforming means comprising a coil and a vibrator are enclosed in a single casing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an ignition system wherein a transforming and distributing mechanism is bodied in a single unit and is adapted to selectively employ direct current electricity or pulsating electricity such as generated by a low tension magneto.

' It is another object of this invention to provide an ignition system wherein a single pivoted lever operates to control a plurality of separate ignition circuits having separate sources of electrical energy.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an ignition device comprising a casing having a plurality of chambers, one of said chambers containing an induction coil, the core of which protrudes through a wall dividing said chamber from an adjacent chamber wherein a vibrator and timing and distributing mechanisms are contained.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a distributing and transforming unit for an ignition system wherein high tension connections are entirely enclosed.

it is an important object of this invention to provide a compact transforming and distributing unit for ignition systems which is adapted to be selectively used in connection with storage batteries or low tension mag-- netos.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the drawings and the speciiication.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through an ignition unit embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1 with parts in elevation.

Figure 3 is a plan View of the ignition unit with the cover removed.

Figure l is a fragmentary section on the line 4L l of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a plan View of the outside of the cap.

Figure 7 is a wiring diagram of the ignition system.

As shown on the drawings:

The improved ignition unit of this invention is preferably supported in a cylindrical casing 1 which is composed of vulcanite, fibre, or other insulating material, and which is mounted on a base 2, said base 2 being provided with a downwardly extending boss 3 whereby the casing is rotatably supported on the frame of internal 00mbustion engine in a manner which will be described hereinafter. Said casingl is provided with a flanged cover 4 which interfits with a shoulder 5 on the top portion of the casing 1 as clearly shown in Figure 1.

tending through said passage and through an aperture in the wall 8 registering there with is a shaft 9 which is preferably constructed of non-magnetic material and which is rotated from the timing gears of the engine which mesh with a gear 10 on the lower end thereof to drive the timing and distributing mechanisms of the ignition unit. Said shaft 9 and the ignition unit are preferably supported from the frame of the internal combustion engine on which the ignition system is used by means of a suitable bracket which is engaged around the boss ,3 on thebase 2. 25

The portion of said shaft 9 which extends through the chamber 7 is preferably surrounded by a sleeve 12 of insulating material and mounted on one side of said shaft in the chamber 7 and abutting said sleeve 12 is an induction coil 13 which has a metallic core 14. extending through an aperture in the wall 8 and for a short distance above the upper surface of said wall. Said core 14 is preferably positioned in the base 2 of the casing but having a portion thereof extending into a recess in said base as is clearly shown in Figure 1.

Mounted on the upper side of the wall 8 between the end of the core 14 and the outer wall of the casing 1 is a metallic die casting 15 to which is secured a spring vibra tor 16 which extends over the end of the core 14 and which is adapted to be adjusted to the proper separation from said core by means of'an adjusting screwlti which is of the usual construction and which is supported in an arched bracket 17 screwed to the upper side of the wall. 8.

, Secured in a boss 18 on said die casting 15 is one end of a metallic leaf spring 19 and the other end of said spring is provided with a contact point 20, as is clearly shown in Figure 3. The relative position of said spring 19 is regulated by a metallic adjusting, screw 20 which is mounted in a metallic boss 21 secured to the upper face ances 25v which-are ordinarily equal in numbar to the number of cylinders in the intension side ofthe induction coil 13 and consequently themetallic lever 27 is also connected with said low tension side of the induction coil; The boss 26 on said lever 27 is held 7 in contact with the cam 24 by means of a leaf spring 30 which is securedin a boss 31 on the wall 8 and which contacts the outside-of said lever 27 at' a point 32 beyond the pivotal connection 28 and the boss 26. A contact point 33 on the end of the lever 27 adjacent the insulating boss 26 is adapted to periodically contact the contact 20 on the end ofthe spring '19 and thus properly time the ignition circuit when the low tension magneto 23 is employed.

Formed on the oppositecnd of the lever '27 is accntact point 34 which is adapted to contact a metallic adjusting screw mounted in a metallic boss 36 secured to the upper side of the wall 8 and connected by a leac 37 with a storage battery 38. Consequcntly' this end of the levnr 2? acts to properly time the spark in the ignition system in cases where the storage" battery 38 is employed. W f

Nonrotatably mounted on the shaft 9, above the cam 24 is a sleeve 39 to'which is secured an arm 40 ofinsulating material, and mounted in the outer end of said arm 40 is a spring pressed "wiper member 41 which successively contacts terminal members 42 extending through thecap 4 .ofthe casing with a sliding action to distribute high tension electricity to the same; whence it is conveyed to the spark plugs through the usual leads. High tension current is conducted to said distributor arm from the high tension side of the induction coil 13 through a lead 43 to a spring pressed plunger 44 which extends through the wall 7 8 and which contacts the outer end of a conductor 45 that is imbedded in the cap 4 and which leads'to an inwardly extending spring pressed plunger 46 which is also imbedded inthe cap 4 and the outer end of which contacts a conductor strip 47 at a point substantially on the-center line of the" shaft 9. Said conductor 47'zextendsto' the outer end of the distributor arm 4(1- and is connected with the spring pressed plunger 41 mounted thereon, and consequently said spring pressed plunger is constantly connected with a source of high potential electrical energy.

Mounted inside the chamber 7 and connected between the adjusting screw 20 and the diecasting 15 is aicondenser 48; while a similar condenser 49 is also mounted inside the chamber 7 and is connected between the pivotal connection 28 for the lever 2'7 and the adjusting screw 35.

A wiring diagram showing the method of connecting the ignition system of this vention for use on an internal combustion engine is clearly shown in Figure 7. For selectively connecting the system to operate either from the low tension magneto 23 o': the storage battery 38, a switch 50 is provided and said switch 50 is grounded at 51 and connected with a terminal of the mag neto 23 and a terminal of the storage battery 38 by conductors 52 and 53 respectively. The high and low tension sides of the induction coil 13 are grounded at points 54 and 55 respectively.

The operation is as follows:

The ignition unit of this invention may be selectively connected by means of the switch 50 to operate either with the storage battery 38 or with the low tension magneto 23. in case the storage battery 38 is employed the current therefrom is led through the conductor 37 to the adjusting screw 35, from said adjusting screw 35 through the contact 34 and the lever 27 to the pivotal connection 28 for said lever, whence it is led through a conductor 29 to the-low tension side of the induction coil 3 which is grounded at 55, and since the switch is grounded at 51 the return circuit is through the switch 50 and the conductor 53 to the other terminal of the storage battery 38. Tracing the circuit from the low tension magneto 23 we find that the energy therefrom is conducted through the conductor 22 to the adjusting screw 16 whence it is led through the vibrator 16 and the spring 19 to the lever 27 by way of the contacts 20 and 33, and from said lever 27 it is led through the conductor 29 and the low tension side of the induction coil 13 to ground at 55, the return circuit being through the ground 51, the switch 50 and the conductor 52.

The secondary or high tension circuit is connected through the enclosed conductor 45 in the cap 4 with the distributor arm, whence it is distributed to the spark plugs of the engine by way of the contact terminals l2 and the ordinary spark plug lead wires, the ground side of said spark plug being, of course, connected with the grounded side of the high tension portion of the induction coil at 54:.

It is thus apparent that this invention provides an arrangement whereby a compact ignition unit which is adapted to operate selectively with either a storage battery or a low tension magneto is provided, and on account of the simplicity of wiring and the enclosure of all of the working parts, there is little liability or" the system getting out or" order due to short-circuiting or the like.

It is also to be noted that extreme simplicity is attained in the control of the unit since only two conductors lead to ti 5 switch 5U, and since there is but a single cam operated lever for controlling the timing of the both systems.

I am aware that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

Claims:

1. A11 ignition unit comprising a casing, a wall dividing the casing into separate chambers, an induction coil in one chamber, core in the induction coil having one end extending through the dividing wall into the other chamber, a vibrator in said other chamber associated with the extending end of the core, and timing and distributor mechanisms mounted in said other chamber and co-acting with said coil and a source of electrical energy to produce a properly timed ant. distributed ignition spark.

2. The combination with a casing having a dividing wall of insulating material therein, of an induction coil in the casing on one side of the wall, a core in the induction coil having one end extending through the dividing wall into another part of the casing, a vibrator associated with said coil, a low tension magneto connected with said vibrator, a contact on the dividing wall insulated from the vibrator and connected with a source of constant electrical energy, and a single cam operated lever for making and breaking the circuits through said contact and said vibrator.

3. The combination with an open circuit, vibrating, coil type ignition system, and a closed circuit single spark ignition system, of a single circuit breaker lever adapted to simultaneously close the circuit of the vibrator system and open the closed circuit of the single spark system, a cam for actuating the same, and a single induction coil associated with said lever for use with either system.

4:. The combination with an open circuit, vibrating, coil type ignition system, and a closed circuit single spark ignition system, of a single circuit breaker lever adapted to simultaneously close the circuit of the vibrator system and open the closed circuit of the single spark system, a cam for actuating the same, a single induction coil associated with said lever for use with either system, and a high tension distributor common to both systems.

5. The combination with an open circuit, vibrating coil type ignition system, and a closed circuit single spark ignition system, of a single circuit breaker lever adapted to simultaneously close the circuit of the vibi-etor system and open the closed circuit of the single spark system, (L cam for actuating the same, a single induction coil assosubscribing Witnesses.

ciated with said lever for use With either JOHN W. LAUREN. system, a high tension distributor common Witnesses: to both systems, and a casing inciosing all CARLTON IIILL,

of said elements. H. -Wnsrroowr WALKER.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of tWo 

